Fettuccine With Sausage and Kale

A hearty pasta dish combining spicy sausage and nutritious kale with al dente fettuccine, finished with Pecorino Romano cheese. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

4 servings
28 min

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lb hot turkey or pork sausage, casings discarded and sausage crumbled
  • ½ lb kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
  • ½ lb dried egg fettuccine
  • cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 oz finely grated Pecorino Romano (1/2 cup) plus additional for serving

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook sausage, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

    7 min

  2. 2.

    Meanwhile, blanch kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove kale with a large sieve and drain. Return cooking water in pot to a boil, then cook pasta in boiling water, uncovered, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.

    15 min

  3. 3.

    While pasta cooks, add kale to sausage in skillet and sauté, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then add pasta and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water to skillet, tossing until combined. Stir in cheese and thin with additional cooking water if desired.

    5 min

  4. 4.

    Serve immediately, with additional cheese on the side.

    1 min